Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASHGABAT1030
2007-09-25 10:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: BERDIMUHAMEDOV PROMISES RELEASE OF
how-toVZCZCXRO6887 PP RUEHAG RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHAH #1030 2681036 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 251036Z SEP 07 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9426 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 2795 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0617 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0493 RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0570
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001030
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: BERDIMUHAMEDOV PROMISES RELEASE OF
PRISONERS OF CONCERN
REF: 06 ASHGABAT 1097
Classified By: CHARGE RICHARD E. HOAGLAND FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001030
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: BERDIMUHAMEDOV PROMISES RELEASE OF
PRISONERS OF CONCERN
REF: 06 ASHGABAT 1097
Classified By: CHARGE RICHARD E. HOAGLAND FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
¶1. (C) During a September 24 debrief of UK Minister of
Energy Malcolm Wick's 19-20 visit that focused primarily on
oil and gas issues (septel),UK Ambassador Peter Butcher
reported Wicks raised political development and human rights
in meetings with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and
Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers/Foreign Minister
Rashit Meredov. Butcher said although Berdimuhamedov said
nothing new, he was less defensive on the subject than he had
been a few months earlier. Moreover, the president said that
"the people on your lists" would be among the 9,000 who will
be pardoned during the annual Night of Omnipotence amnesty.
(COMMENT: Wicks did not hand over a list of prisoners during
this visit. We believe that Berdimuhamedov is referring to
prisoners mentioned previously by various Western visitors.
END COMMENT.)
¶2. (C) Post has asked several relatives of prisoners of
concern, and only one has confirmed to us that a relative
will be released in this year's amnesty. An Embassy FSN
whose brother was imprisoned two years ago in connection with
a Niyazov-era crackdown on corruption in the Water Management
Ministry was told by unspecified government officials that
the brother would be released on or about October 7. (NOTE:
Despite the October 7 date given to the FSN, there is still
some question about exactly when in October the Night of
Omnipotence will take place. END NOTE.)
¶3. (C) COMMENT: Last year, 10,000 people were pardoned in
the amnesty, most of whom were common criminals whose
families paid government officials $2,000-$40,000, depending
on the severity of the crime (reftel). If Berdimuhamedov
indeed releases real prisoners of concern in this year's
amnesty, it will be a good sign of progress in human rights
in Turkmenistan. END COMENT.
HOAGLAND